The Odyssey – BOOKS 10-17 (The Short Version)
BOOK 10: Odysseus and men go to Aeolus’ home Greeted and hosted for a month Aeolus gives Odysseus a leather bag (Inside are winds that might blow the ship off course) O sails for 10 days, and can see men on the shores of Ithaca (HOME!) O’s men think the bag has treasure in it, and they open it The wind is released, and blows them back to Aeolus, who refuses to help them further.
BOOK 10 continued… They ended up among giants who ate some of the crew and threw rocks at the ship. The few survivors washed up on Circe’s island. Circe changed all the men (except O) into pigs. Circe told O that in order to get home, he had to travel to the land of Death.
BOOK 11: O goes to the land of the dead, where everyone is spirits. Spirits can’t talk unless they are re-animated with blood. O slaughters a lamb to create blood so he can talk to the spirits. He speaks with the spirits of his mother, a prophet, Achilles, and Tiresias, a blind prophet who gives warnings about O’s journey
BOOK 12: O and men meet the Sirens. The crew had wax in ears, O was tied to the mast so he could hear, but not steer the ship Choice: Charybdis or Scylla Charybdis: a monster whirlpool that swallows everything near it 3x a day Scylla: six-headed monster who will eat one Greek for each head (each head contains 3 rows of thick fangs)
BOOK 12 continued… They choose Scylla She eats 6 of O’s men. They make it past and go to the island of Helios (the sun god). Eat the sacred red cattle: DESTROYED Do not eat them: GET HOME SAFE O’s men eat some cattle. Zeus sent a thunderbolt as punishment, and everyone died except O. He washed up on Calypso’s island.
BOOK 13: O finishes his tale to the king. King promises him safe passage to Ithaca. (and he makes it) On Ithaca, Athena transforms O into an old man with rags on (disguise) so he can gain info without being recognized. O goes off to find his swineherd, Eumaeus.
BOOK 14: Eumaeus does not recognize O, but obeys Zeus’s commandment to be kind to guests, and feeds O meat, bread, & wine. That night, O sleeps in the warm bed next to the fire. Eumaeus sleeps outside in the rain with his pigs.
BOOK 15: Eumaeus and O sit around while E tells O his life story. His nursemaid as a child kidnapped him, and then sold him for money to O’s father. O’s mother raised him as a member of the family. Meanwhile, Athena summons Telemachus to speak with him about the suitors.
BOOK 16: Athena tells Telemachus to dodge the suitors, and go to Eumaeus’ house. Tele meets O (dressed as a beggar), and then sends Eumaeus away.When Eumaeus is gone, Athena changes O into his normal appearance. O and Tele reunite, and they plot to take out the suitors. They decide they might need help from Zeus and Athena.
BOOK 17: O (dressed as a beggar), Eumaeus, and Tele are walking towards O’s castle. O sees his old dog at the gate, and the dog recognizes him. Athena says that O should beg for food from the suitors that are outside the gates.
BOOK 17 continued… One suitor, Antinous, beats him and throws a footstool at him. The other suitors are nervous because sometimes the gods masquerade as mortals to test their righteousness. O and Tele decide to postpone revenge on Antinous until later.